When I read the questions Jesus poses to the disciples in this week’s gospel, it reminds me of some of the formation I received in leading groups of faith. One of the cardinal rules was to never put anyone on the spot. Never make them feel so uncomfortable that they may consider not returning next week. That’s why we would always preface a faith question with “there are no wrong answers“, which seemed to quell some of the fears …
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I always like to imagine myself being in the group of
people Jesus is addressing when I read passages of Scripture like we see in
today’s Gospel. We are told that Jesus
is speaking to his Apostles, a group who have come to know him pretty well and,
by this time, have grown somewhat accustomed to the challenges he places before
them. Having said that, if I were tucked
away in the corner of the room listening, I would …
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In the midst
of the strangest Easter season I have ever experienced comes the familiar story
of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
As I have mentioned before in these reflections, I have always viewed
biblical figures as ordinary folks (like you and me) who are witness to things
that are extra-ordinary. Some are able
to see the significance of the moment immediately and others only in
hindsight. As we meet the two disciples
walking and talking along …
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As I read this week’s gospel and hear Jesus’ counter-cultural
instructions on how we should deal with the people God puts in our lives, I am
reminded of one the biggest influences in my spiritual journey, Fr. Peter
McKee. When someone would ask him, “do you have a minute?” he would reply, “for
you, I’ve got two.” What a
marvelous tone to set for the conversation to come.
Although this gospel comes up this year just …
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Seeing as we are in Year A of our three-year cycle of readings, most of our gospel proclamations will come from Matthew. As Matthew is one of the two gospels with infancy narratives (the other being Luke), we hear today of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. Unlike Luke, Matthew gives us no details of how Mary accepted the mission proposed to her by the angel to become pregnant via the Holy Spirit and to give birth …
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Every time I hear this week’s gospel I smile because it reminds me of someone in my life who is very dear to me. The passage reminds me of this person because when I hear it, the phrase that comes to mind is: “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. To say this person who I am referring to is persistent is like saying it can get a little chilly here in January (lol). But when we …
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The Many Stages of Mission
If we were to combine this week’s readings with the Passion reading we heard on Good Friday, we could probably make a miniseries called “The Many Faces of Peter”. I think that’s one of the reasons I love Peter so much is that he is so relatable to me. Always with the best of intentions, but sometimes falling a little short of the mark. Yet, no matter how many times he fell, …
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Lent has come to us a little later this year than usual as
Easter is only four days short of the latest it can be. On a side note, if you were wondering how the
date for Easter is determined; it is always the first Sunday after the first
full moon after the first day of Spring.
That information and $2 will get you a coffee at Tim Horton’s. With Lent starting so late, it has given us
much …
by admin Throughout my life I have had many friends and acquaintances who have been loyal members of evangelical churches. These people are faith filled and extremely committed to the teachings of their individual churches. We have had many conversations over the years on the “taboo” topic of religion, and I have been blessed and enriched to learn of the faith principles that guide their lives.
One question that would often be posed to me, and to be honest, would frequently …
by admin As we head toward the end of our liturgical year, our readings focus on the “end times”. In today’s gospel, Jesus sets the stage for what we can expect to see when the time for his second coming is upon us. “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” This, to me, sounds like utter darkness; and pretty scary too. When we think about “the end“, either of the world or of our own life, …
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